Jago Times "English Edition" Best Online Newspaper
Electricity demand in Texas is expected to climb to an all-time high as searing heat continues to grip the region.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for North and Central Texas on Tuesday because of hot and humid conditions that can make it feel like 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Power consumption on the state’s main grid may surge to a record 75,094 megawatts in the hour ending at 6 p.m. CT, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
Here’s what Texans need to know about conserving electricity.
The Texas market is showing no signs of stress with this week’s smothering heat though. ERCOT procured extra reserves that will be able to respond more quickly to any issues that may develop after a February winter storm resulted in blackouts for millions of people in the U.S. South for days.
Demand was expected to peak at an all-time high on Monday, but it ended up coming in almost 3% below the record. The previous high of 74,820 megawatts was set in August 2019.
Electricity prices at ERCOT’s North hub, which includes Dallas, rose to a high of $114.68 a megawatt-hour in the hour ending at 4 p.m., up 10% from Monday in the day-ahead market. This was the priciest hour on both days at the hub.
In the East, the country’s largest grid operated by PJM Interconnection LLC, extended a hot-weather alert across the 13-state network through Wednesday, asking transmission and power-plant owners to cancel or defer maintenance. Another grid that stretches from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast has similar alerts in place, according to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc.’s website.